Views of Lakes 



maps of the country. Across them and away 

 beyond in a southerly direction I could dimly trace 

 the outline of the escarpment surrounding Lake 

 Tanganyika. From this spot I beheld the second 

 Congoese camp for the first time, as it was hidden 

 from our position by a hill. It was badly situated 

 from a military point of view, on the flat and in the 

 vicinity of commanding hills. 



Coming back, I noticed a very ingenious native 

 trap for catching " Birds from the Gubba," as my 

 orderly termed the local partridge. My men, acting 

 under my orders, had cleared and levelled a very fine 

 parade ground. They were greatly interested in a 

 portrait of Edward Rex, the great Sultan, which I 

 showed them in an illustrated paper. They pointed 

 to his beard in wonder, and asked about his wives. 

 They could not understand his only having one, 

 although they admitted that when there were many 

 wives there was always a great deal of trouble and 

 disturbance. They asked me to explain a picture 

 of the winter garden of the Midland Hotel at 

 Manchester at the luncheon hour. I told them the 

 white men were drinking water after their food, and 

 that the girl was making much sound (otherwise 

 singing), and that all the bugles were playing 

 (otherwise music). 



Our water supply was a matter of great concern, 

 and the party of porters sent to bring it into camp 

 from a spring on the right of the position was always 

 protected by an armed escort under an officer. 

 From the top of the hill, where I was in the 



185 



